Ladies and gentlemen, you all welcome to the 2009 BOCCIM Agriculture sector annual general meeting at the BOCCIM House Gaborone.
My job this morning is to share with you the progress we have made since I took office last year.
When I took over the sector, there was no plan in place to guide the operations of the sector. We had to rely on the topical agenda items raised by the few sector members and or the Ministry of Agriculture.
I will now discuss some of the topical issues and indicate our progress. The suggested way forward will follow the discussion of the topical issues.
These are some of the topical issues:
Government takes over LACs
Foot and Mouth outbreaks and soread
Private sector is denied full participation in national animal health services
Botswana has no deliberate sustainable and comprehensive response to food crisis
Updates on special projects
All LAC operations went back to Government
In the course of privatizing LACs, private sector was given opportunity to supply selected areas. However, the private sector was not consulted when government decided to sell all agricultural supplies in all areas I the country.
Achievements
Ministry of Agriculture and supplies had a meeting in which it was realized that government and private sector had short comings in playing their expected roles.
Reengineering of the agric sector through master plan development, implementation and support
BOCCIM has proactively suggested the development of the Agriculture Sector Master Plan to afford the private sector its rightful leadership and ownership of the sector and define the government support role. This item is coming tomorrow in the HLCC meeting.
BOCCIM Agriculture Sector has started the development of the Botswana Chamber of Agriculture to lead and to manage the implementation of the master plan. The chamber is being discussed by the sector members and will soon be taken to BOCCIM and Ministry of Agriculture for their support.
Notifiable disease/pest management
The MOA and BOCCIM have agreed to form a joint working group to manage the out break and spread of economic diseases and pests. This was again the imitative of BOCCIM Agriculture Sector.
Ladies and gentlemen, the progress here above referred was made possible by a handful of committed members- congratulations! I want to thank them and hope that many will see a need to do the same for the good of the sector and contribution to the national economy.
